Tesla Cybercab faces federal probe

Tesla shares declined significantly on Friday, September 4, 2026, following the formal rollout of its Cybercab driverless vehicle service in Austin, Texas, and the subsequent announcement of a federal investigation into the company's compliance with safety standards. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a probe into the process and technical data Tesla relied upon when self-certifying the vehicles, which lack traditional controls such as steering wheels and pedals. The Cybercab service officially began offering rides to the public on Friday evening in Austin, after an invite-only launch event late Thursday. The introduction was notably low-key, with no livestream or media access, and did not feature Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk. Investors and analysts expressed underwhelm, citing a lack of detailed information and unanswered questions about the vehicle's deployment and scaling targets. Tesla shares fell approximately 6% in New York trading on Friday.